2018 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report Ranch View Estates Water Users Association Box 9732 Helena, MT 59604

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1 A Division of Wolfe Water Management, Inc. Montana state-certified water and wastewater operation 5368 N Montana Ave Helena, Montana Annual Drinking Water Quality Report Ranch View Estates Water Users Association Box 9732 Helena, MT We're pleased to present to you this year's Annual Water Quality Report. This report is designed to inform you about the water quality and services we deliver to you every day. Our goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect your water resources. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water. Our water source is groundwater from three wells located to the south of the subdivision. I'm pleased to report that our drinking water is safe and meets federal and state requirements. If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact Lee Wolfe or Richard Williams at (406) We want consumers to be informed about their water utility. If you want to learn more about opportunities for participation, please contact any Ranch View Estates Water Users Association board member. Integrated Water routinely monitors water for constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. This table shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1 st to December 31 st, Some of the data in the tables are more than one year old, because certain chemical contaminants are monitored less than once a year. Included are the results of more recent sampling to bring everyone up to date on testing. The sampling frequency at Ranch View Estates WUA complies with EPA and State drinking water regulations. In this table and in rules, you will find many terms and abbreviations with which you might not be familiar. To help you better understand these terms we've provided the following definitions: Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l) - one part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000. Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter - one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.

2 Action Level - the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow. Treatment Technique (TT) - A treatment technique is a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water. Maximum Contaminant Level - The Maximum Allowed (MCL) is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology. Maximum Contaminant Level Goal - The Goal (MCLG) is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. Maximum residual disinfection level goal or MRDLG: The level of a drinking water disinfection below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants. Maximum residual disinfectant level or MRDL: The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants. pci/l- picocuries per liter is a rate at which radioactive atoms break down. Picocuries break down at a rate of 2.2 disintegrations per minute in a liter of space. The curie is a standard measure for the intensity of radioactivity contained in a sample of radioactive material. Variances and Exemptions - State or EPA permission not to meet an MCL or a treatment technique under certain conditions. TEST RESULTS Contaminant Inorganic Contaminants Violation Y/N Sample Date Highest Level Detected Range Detected Unit Measurement MCLG MCL Likely Source of Contamination Copper N N/A ppm 1.3 AL=1.3 Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives Lead N N/A ppb 0 AL=15 Corrosion of household plumbing systems, erosion of natural deposits Nitrate (as Nitrogen) N N/A ppm Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits 8. Arsenic N N/A ppb n/a 10 Erosion of natural deposits; runoff from orchards; runoff from glass and electronics production wastes 10. Barium N N/A ppm 2 2 Discharge of drilling wastes; discharge from metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits 16. Fluoride N N/A ppm 4 4 Erosion of natural deposits; water additive which promotes strong teeth; discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories

3 Gross Alpha N N/A pci/ Erosion of natural deposits Radium-226 N N/A pci/1 0 N/A Erosion of natural deposits Radium-228 N N/A pci/1 0 N/A Erosion of natural deposits Ranch View Estates WUA also tested for bacteriological contamination on a monthly basis, and many other required constituents that are on either six-or three-year rotations. We are not reporting the results on these tests because there were no detects of any of these constituents, or they are well below any action levels. What does this mean? As you can see by the table, our system had no violations. We re proud that your drinking water meets or exceeds all Federal and State requirements. We have learned through our monitoring and testing that some constituents have been detected, but the EPA has determined that your water IS SAFE at these levels. All sources of drinking water are subject to potential contamination by constituents that are naturally occurring or are manmade. Those constituents can be microbes, organic or inorganic chemicals, or radioactive materials. All drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at MCLs are set at very stringent levels. To understand the possible health effects described for many regulated constituents, a person would have to drink two liters of water every day at the MCL level for a lifetime to have a one-in-a-million chance of having the described health effect. Nitrates: As a precaution, we always notify physicians and health care providers in this area if a higher than normal level of nitrates occurs in the water supply. The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive materials, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include: Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife. Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming. Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses. Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems. Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturallyoccurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activity.

4 In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health. Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency s Safe Drinking Water Hotline ( ). Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk for infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from Safe Drinking Water Hotline ( ). If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. Forest Park Water Users Association is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using the water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing materials, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at Thank you for allowing us to continue providing your family and community with clean, quality water this year. In order to maintain a safe and dependable water supply, we sometimes need to make improvements that will benefit all of our customers. These improvements are sometimes reflected as rate structure adjustments. Thank you for understanding. Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and other microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline ( ).

5 Please call our office if you have questions. Integrated Water, Inc. and your board have worked hard to provide top quality water to every tap. We ask that all customers help protect water sources which are the heart of our community and our way of life. LeeWolfe INTEGRATED WATER (406) Clean Water It s always there... until it s not.